Tacos del Gordo ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Mar 2025 (South Academy)

First visit: May 2024 (North Academy)

Other locations: Union; Fountain. They also have a food truck.

It's Wednesday and time for my weekly Colorado Springs thrifting tour. As usual, I fell behind on schedule, and it was past noon. Only time for maybe a quick lunch. Tacos sounded good, so what's nearby? Ah yes, Tacos del Gordo. I forgot they had this southern location.

It was the perfect meal (which I sadly forgot to photo). On this visit I had the pollo asado, ground beef, and adovada. The latter no doubt influenced from our recent trip to New Mexico. They came out smoking hot. The shell on the ground beef taco was beautifully crunchy. And all three salsas were perfect (better than the below visit), especially the two hotter red ones. The meats were all heavily seasoned and delicious.

Stays in the RJG rotation with probably more frequent visits in between.

---original 5/3/24 review

As noted here on the RJG a few times, getting tacos in Colorado Springs is a dicey proposition. Admittedly I tend to enjoy more gringo oriented fare, and some of the places in town are hardcore. But if there's one dish that seems to give the game away it's pollo asado. If they take the time to grill a chicken then it seems that I will enjoy the restaurant.

That axiom proved true again. I ordered three tacos: Ground beef, carne asada, and the aforementioned pollo asado. They have a salsa bar and I put a ladle full of all three they offer into the cups provided. Once the meal arrived, I started in on the ground beef taco. Oh yes - super crunchy and crispy homemade shell. And the beef was heavily seasoned. Excellent by itself (I'll get to the salsas in a minute). The carne and pollo are served street style with onions, cilantro served on double corn tortillas. They also offer guac for both, but I passed. These are fully loaded so you get your $3+ each moneys worth. Both were fantastic, the former with a charbroiled steak flavor and the chicken was very flavorful. As for the salsas, the green is real thin and fairly tasteless. Not sure there's any reason to have it. The red was also very thin but did carry spice, but not much flavor. The thick textured red was the money sauce. Spicy and very flavorful. Unique too. Loved it and made each of the three tacos better. It's all you need really.

The restaurant was clean and the service was friendly. And they don't ask for an unearned tip. My kind of place! Into the RJG rotation Tacos del Gordo goes.

5/3/24 (new entry); 3/26/25

Valentina's ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Apr 2022

We started our day at the ABQ flea market. After walking around that event for a couple of hours, we'd built up an appetite. Our schedule was to stop at Valentina's in Santa Fe, before making the long journey home. This mirrors what we did last year, though this time it was planned.

We ordered exactly what we did last time, and it was absolutely delicious (you must go here). The only thing we noticed was the salsa didn't have quite the same flavor, though it certainly was just as spicy. But chiles can do that to you. They can be random, so that's OK with us. I forgot to photo the meal unfortunately. Valentina's remains in the rotation, so I'll try to get that captured on the next visit.

---11/18/24 update

I forgot to mention this on the Perea's update: We found a new trail in Albuquerque too. Out east in the mountains, the Embudo Trail which "funnels" (haha) into the Cibola National Forest. We run straight uphill for about 20 minutes (huff puff), take a short break, and run back down casually. A perfect workout that allows us to continue to eat like teenagers. In case you were wondering how we manage to continue to do this... I'm 60 and don't want to give any of this up. That's the task that must be done every morning, like 350 days a year task. And with that...

We cleaned up at the hotel and left Albuquerque, and hopefully we'll be back next year as usual. The plan was to have Sunday breakfast in Santa Fe at Horseman's Haven, a place we haven't been to in many years. Mrs. RJG usually puts up resistance at the last minute. Not sure why, but she insists it isn't as good as I've documented. I think it's a misplaced memory. And sure enough, while driving north on I-25, she wanted to pivot to another restaurant. In fact, she really wanted to go back to Valentina's. Twist my arm.

By the time we got here, I was ready to eat the tires off our SUV (an interesting image...), so my appetito was huge. And some of the breakfast houses in Santa Fe are tough to get into on a Sunday morning, but that's not a problem with Valentina's, which remains something of a local secret (don't worry fans, our readership is too small to have much impact). I have to admit, Mrs. RJG was right, Valentina's was the better choice. It's going into the RJG Rotation, and while that wasn't official before, we've gone for three straight years anyway, all documented below.

We started with the chips and salsa. Oh my gosh, so so good. I love their red salsa. Mrs. RJG thinks it might be a combination of Chile de Arbol and Guajillo. The chips are real corn. Learning my lesson from last year, I went back to Christmas. I'm so glad I did. The green was loaded with chiles, and was knock-you-down spicy. I always eat half the dish, flip the plate and then the other. I then tackled the smooth red. One could argue it's better than La Choza. If not, it's in the competition. Otherwise my burrito was egg, potatoes, cheese, and ham. The latter, once again, is a ham steak cut up and stuffed in there. It's brilliant. Mrs. RJG ordered the Huevos Rancheros with whole beans and Spanish rice. Hers also came with a sopaipilla. She had most of it, but I grabbed about a quarter. Very good and fluffy, and made for a nice dessert with the honey.

Best meal of the trip. Go here.

---6/2/23 update

Valentina's is a restaurant that I was very excited to revisit. Last year was our first try, and we had a great experience. We also knew that it would be a lot of food. Having eaten sensibly the night before at The Ranch House, and getting our three mile run in, we were ready to tackle the big breakfast that Valentina's offers. And I'm happy to report everything is just as it was in 2022. Incredible chips and salsa and a monster burrito smothered in red, which was blazing hot spicy as was the salsa. With a big ol' ham steak jammed in there too. Last year I mentioned the green was more typical, but Mrs. RJG persisted to try it again and this time it was better than I remembered. And honestly burying everything in the red is just too much of that one flavor. I'm going back to Christmas. Valentina's is currently one of our favorite Santa Fe restaurants. No trip can go without at least a visit here.

If you read at the bottom of the below review, neither Sunrise nor Tortilla Flats made it to the itinerary. Just too many great places to eat in Santa Fe!

---original 4/14/22 review

Despite going to a number of restaurants in Santa Fe this week, we had yet to try something new. Our Airbnb host left a sheet behind of recommend places to try. La Choza was on there for example, so we knew the recs were probably spot on. This was the only other New Mexican place on the list. 

Oh yes, this is definitely a great recommendation!

First off, Valentina's sits in a shopping center, so there's actually a place to park. In fact it's the same one that houses Pho Kim, a Vietnamese place we enjoy but haven't gone back to in some years (it's in the RJG). Walking in, you'll see a relatively large restaurant painted in bright colors with unique art. Very much an Hispanic atmosphere pervades. 

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you'll be provided with a large menu. We ordered chips and salsa to start on this particular breakfast outing. Whoa! These are some of the best homemade corn chips we've had in sometime. And the salsa is very spicy and has an incredible chile flavor. In fact the taste experience reminded us of a place in Nampa, Idaho called El Rinconcito. It's a combination of a blazing salsa against the corn taste that just explodes in your mouth. We were regulars to that restaurant when the RJG had a consulting gig at Boise State in the latter half of 1998 and early 1999. On a return visit in 2014, it wasn't the same, and I see now it's out of business. What a shame. In any case - thank you Valentina's for ensuring that flavor still exists! Both Mrs. RJG and I remembered it exactly the same without leading the witness. Well that certainly set the mood right.

Now time for the main entries. I had the breakfast burrito with eggs, ham, and potatoes, smothered in Christmas. OK, these guys are just showing off now. This is larger than the others ones we've tried, and the ham is not just diced but rather cut slices from a fully cooked ham steak! Wow. The green was good, but rather non distinctive. It's the red that gets the shout out. A very dark variety loaded with flavor. I'll be sure to smother my next ham & eggs burrito in the red only on my next visit. Mrs. RJG went with her staple of Huevos Rancheros. Her experience was similar, though she was more favorable to the green, but preferred the red as well. She liked the refried beans, only lamenting she wished they were of a hotter temperature. We always want Abuelo's hot!

All in all, a super first encounter. With Tortilla Flats making a comeback, and now Valentina's, did Sunrise just get knocked out of contention? 

4/14/22 (new entry); 6/2/23; 11/17/24; 3/22/25

Two Cranes Bistro & Brew ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Mar 2025

The RJG's sure know how to pick the most popular times to be out and about looking for dinner. Some of you may recall that two years ago we were in downtown Kansas City - when it was opening Monday Night Football and the Chiefs were playing! That was a challenge.

And now we're in Albuquerque, and would you believe the University of New Mexico was in the March Madness tournament? And they were playing on this Friday night. What are the odds? I never thought of UNM as a major basketball school, but quick research tells me a different story. Regionally, they are a powerhouse. It was round 1, and they were playing one of the perennial institution basketball schools: Marquette. Well - that will probably eliminate them quickly*. But enthusiasm was high all over town. We saw it at The 377 Brewery first.

The setup was perfect. Our hotel was right next to a tavern. Two minute walking distance. Except... it was jam packed because of the contest and no place to sit for the foreseeable future. Well crud. We're going to have to drive somewhere else. I decided to pick a similar place and hope for the best.

Miraculously we got a table right away. But good luck in being served. We stayed patient, but they made a serious blunder by not offering us a beer right away. That would have resulted in at least one other round of beers. The help was obviously exhausted and they didn't hide it. They weren't rude, just beat. And a few patrons did lose their patience with them - and loudly at that. The atmosphere was not great. At the end, our waiter was apologetic. It's understandable, though I sure could have used that first beer!

In any case, by the time we did get served we went straight to dinner and ordered our beer then. I went with my staple Cubano and Mrs. RJG had a steak protein bowl. I substituted fries for the green chile stew (a wise move). If the waiters were struggling, the kitchen was not. They absolutely nailed the dishes. As for the "brew" part of their name, I would suggest that their beer list seemed a bit light for a place such as this.

I don't see us coming back here, not because we didn't enjoy it (we did), but can't think of a reason why we would. Presuming that tavern is available next time... 

* - UNM won the game handily, only to lose the next round to Maryland in a heartbreaking way.

3/21/25 (new entry)

The 377 Brewery ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Mar 2025

It's now Friday late afternoon. Hmm, maybe time for a beer? Of course it's time for a beer! We happened to be near Nob Hill, and the first brewery we went to didn't have their paperwork in place to serve their own beer. OK, we'll get them on another visit. The next one (Palmer) stopped making their own beer. Oh boy. Next!

Third time was a charm. The 377 Brewery is exactly what you want from a local place. Sort of an industrial, make-up-the-building-as-you-go, kind of place (just look at that signage - and that's all there is!). Plenty of outside seating. Dark inside with open windows adorning light in various sections.

We were hungry too (not sure how that's possible after having Perea's for lunch) and ordered their chips and salsa. The salsa was delicious though not spicy at all. Does possess a thick texture we both enjoyed. Excellent beers and yet another great New Mexico brewery. Wish we could go more often to all of them!

We were entirely unaware of the big event that was happening around us, until we started watching sports on the various TVs. More on the next post.

3/21/25 (new entry)

Perea's ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Aug 2016

We had just finished going to an estate sale in the small village of Tijeras, a beautiful wooded setting that sits just east of Albuquerque. And it's time for lunch. Let's see, we're on the east side of ABQ. Gee, where should we eat?

You ask. Of course we go to Perea's. I had secretly hoped that the lunch crowd would be smaller than for breakfast. No such luck. Placed our name on the list and waited, though it was about 10 minutes this time. If you recall, last year we started to bemoan the lack of a hot temperature for our meals. Hooray, that problem was solved. While Mrs. RJG stuck with breakfast and had Huevos Rancheros, I boldly went forward with their lunch pork adovada enchiladas buried in Christmas (to the right, mine is in front,). Those are onions on top (and the red chile is behind them). The enchiladas were delicious, as were the chips and salsa we received at the opening (which were better than last visit). Perea's keeps its RJG Rotation spot.

---11/18/24 update

Not much chance that the RJG's won't be going to Perea's if in Albuquerque for any length of time. We missed going last year, where the focus was primarily on Santa Fe. But not this time. And all things seem normal again. Back to the pre-pandemic days of putting your name on a list and waiting. The waitresses are back. Though they had a sign saying they are short-staffed. To be noted, it seemed every single restaurant in ABQ was hiring. So if you're unemployed, you might want to think about heading to the Southwest. We started with chips and salsa, something neither of us could remember if we'd done before. Like with La Choza, the chips were on the salty side, which is fine with us. They tasted great. The salsa was a little too much on the tomato-y side, but it did possess a nice flavor and a good kick. I went with the egg and bacon breakfast burrito smothered in Christmas. The green has a unique flavor and was spicy. The red is very close to La Choza in quality, so velvety and smooth. This is a restaurant where you want both the red and the green. Mrs. RJG had the Huevos Rancheros also with Christmas. She also enjoyed the potatoes and beans. The only thing is - once again - it wasn't hot enough temperature. Once is an anomaly, twice is a pattern. And that's problematic, since we're only here once a year. Might open the door for new competition. We'll see next year how we feel about that.

---4/10/22 update

Back for our annual review. The good news is that Perea's has full service again on the weekends, though they still have you order at the cash register during the week. This seems to make a difference on the timing of the food getting to your table. On this visit I went with the carne adovada burrito. Adovada can be a dicey proposition but in the hands of Perea's it was cooked perfectly and very tasty. On this occasion the green was hotter than the red, both very distinctive and excellent. Mrs. RJG went with the Huevos Rancheros with hash browns, also smothered in Christmas. The only thing holding it back from a gold star is the temperature could still be just a tad hotter, though it was much better than our pandemic visit. Perea's is not to be missed.

---original 9/19/21 review

I didn't realize until now that I hadn't covered Perea's in the RJG. Well it's never too late. Along with Sunrise Restaurant in Santa Fe, Perea's has become our go-to breakfast house in New Mexico. After trying a few places in ABQ, Perea's made an immediate impact and now we're hooked. It's all about the chile in New Mexico, and Perea's is all aces with both the red and green. Christmas is essential here. Usually spicy but always very tasty. You can bury that chile on just about anything and walk away happy. Mrs. RJG goes with the Chile Relleno, while I stick to the breakfast burrito - all cooked perfectly. But it's the chile that makes it special. Perea's is a little family owned place (I think it was an old Captain D's), but you can usually count on large crowds. But not overwhelming like The Pantry or La Choza in Santa Fe. It's a neighborhood joint, and one that is a must stop when traveling through, living, or staying in Albuquerque. We turned Mr. Music onto it, and he goes more than us, since he journeys through on his way to see Lady Music in California. And she too now loves Perea's. 

You have no choice. If you are in Albuquerque, you have to go to Perea's. Well... you do.

8/5/16; 4/22/17; 10/21/18; 3/25/19; 9/19/21 (new entry); 4/10/22; 11/16/24; 3/21/25

Thai Boran ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Nov 2024

We were excited for our best new Thai discovery from last year. Only to leave very disappointed. Our meals were flavorless (Mrs. RJG went with Pad Thai this time, I stayed with the below), and we wondered if maybe they have changed ownership? This happens often in the Thai restaurant business. Sorry Thai Boran, but we will not be returning. Looks like the battle between Thai Spice and Thai Cuisine II is back on!

---11/28/24

We had planned on one Thai meal for the trip but couldn't decide which one to go to. Mrs. RJG favors Thai Spice while I lean in with Thai Cuisine II. While enjoying our beer at Vision City Brewstillery, I decided to research on my iPhone what was nearby. Thai Kitchen came up first but the menu screamed American variation. Then I came across Thai Boran. Now this looks authentic Thai. Mrs. RJG agreed and off we went.

It's a relatively large space and too bright for cozy dining (they simply need to dim the overhead lamps and problem would be solved). Despite this early warning sign, we persevered. They have beer and wine, already a plus as far as the RJG is concerned. So we went with two large bottles of Asahi Dry. But oops they opened two small bottles first, so we scored an extra four ounces for free. Thank you!

Mrs. RJG ordered the red curry, and out came a large bowl that she loved. I had my usual spicy basil Thai. No need to ask for ground chicken - that's how it comes! I added a fried egg on top (of course). I ordered it hot, and that's exactly what I got. We also added some chili oil, so it definitely packed some heat. If I were home, I would go for Thai Hot, and I'm sure it would have been that much better. We both lapped up everything on the plate/bowl. Delicious. Oh the rice was perfectly cooked (and we didn't have to ask for more). Thai Boran bests any Thai restaurant we have in Colorado Springs.

We now have a consensus at the RJG household: Thai Boran is our new go-to for Thai in ABQ. And that probably will result in an annual rotation visit. Getting some new champions on this trip.

11/15/24 (new entry)

Dripline Brewery ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Mar 2025

As noted on our last visit, we're slowly working our way through the New Mexico breweries. As is our protocol, we look for the closest one from where we're at - and we haven't tried yet. And in this case, Dripline pulled up (we were close to downtown). It wouldn't have only two years ago. Why? Because they opened last year, bucking the trend of breweries dropping like flies. 

The space is modern, with plenty of outside seating. On this Thursday night, they were gearing up for a folk singer. They informed us they only like to bring in folk acts versus full bands due to the noise ordinances. Makes sense to me. We left, however, before the performance. It was time for dinner.

The beers you see were excellent. Recommended.

3/20/25 (new entry)

Blake's Lotaburger ~ regional chain : Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Last visit: Mar 2025 (State 528 @ Meadowlark)

First visit: May 1994 (ABQ: Menaul @ Rhode Island)

Locations: 70 locations in New Mexico; 3 in Tucson, AZ; 2 in El Paso, TX. Same as last visit.

We happened to be in Rio Rancho around lunch time and Mrs. RJG was craving a green chile cheeseburger. What's the closest Blake's then? This one. All came out as expected though it did seem like they skimped a bit on the chiles (see to the right). It still tasted great.

---11/18/24 review

And we celebrate the 30th year of the RJG visiting Blake's, with our first lunch in Albuquerque. Not that we always go here, and we missed out last year as well. Lately Mrs. RJG has been in the mood for New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburgers, and since that's the specialty of the house, we ordered two of them. Out came two giant double cheeseburgers, large fries and a large drink. Uh-oh, Mrs. RJG isn't going to go for this! After keeping my head down for some moments enjoying the heck out of mine, I dared looked upwards and I was watching my wife devour it with glee. Again I ask - who is this woman who joined me on this trip? I have to say, even though the burgers are large, they aren't heavy, and that's a huge plus. And they loaded ours with chile, and they were spicy on this visit. Yahoo! Fries were of a hot temperature, which also made us both happy. Even the drink was excellent, and because it was large, we had it with us for the remainder of the day. And it still had flavor until the end. Anyway, it appears Blake's may find itself into the RJG rotation, a major accomplishment for non Colorado Springs restaurants. Mrs. RJG was still talking how great it was on our drive home two days later (she noted how peppery it was in addition to the green chiles). So there you have it.

I think this may have been the first location the RJG went to, but I couldn't tell you with any kind of accuracy which ones I've been to outside of the store two years ago and the one we've been to in Santa Fe. The reason I say this is because Charley's Records is across the street, and I've been going there since 1992 (a few years before Mrs. RJG was in the picture). I'll claim it for the database, but it's not certain. It's a more typical fast food restaurant setup than the one reviewed below. Order at the counter with plenty of seating + a drive thru.

---original 4/15/22 review (Coors NW - Albuquerque)

Blake's Lotaburger is an iconic burger chain that proliferates throughout New Mexico. If you've watched Breaking Bad, then most assuredly you've seen the Union Jack emblem on cups and bags. In effect, Blake's is to New Mexico what Whataburger is to Texas and In-N-Out is to California, the only difference being that Blake's has not expanded as rapidly out of state as the others. Or at least they haven't to date. As far as regional burger chains go, Blake's stacks up well against the competition. The one aspect of Blake's that separates them is the green chile cheeseburger, which definitely puts a New Mexican stamp on it. And it is very good. I'm sure locations vary in quality. This particular one was very busy on the day we visited which resulted in kitchen confusion. But our meal came out as ordered. There is no uniform look to a Blake's. This one has a small dining area made up of barstools around the window, or you can sit out on the patio tables outside, which is what we did. No drive-thru here, but many do have that feature. If we have extended stays in New Mexico, we try for one visit, just to mix up the diet a bit.

5/1/94; 9/1/97; 9/11/06; 9/17/13; 4/15/22 (new entry); 11/15/24; 3/20/25

La Choza ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Sep 2014

The RJG's are back to New Mexico! This constitutes my first true road trip as a retiree. The original plan was to eat in Trinidad for lunch. Then we moved it to Pueblo. Tuesday had brought us an unexpected blizzard, so Wednesday morning traffic was a bit dicey. The weather forecasts indicated that those of us who live in the northern sections of Colorado Springs and Monument received the brunt of the storm. And sure enough, it was dry only three Interstate exits south of our house! All the same we had to wait in the morning to get out, so we decided to have breakfast at home. Because of course we knew where our first dinner was going to be at...

This time the hotels were back to normal price, and Mr. RJG has tons of hotel points to use from my days traveling for work. We arrived around 2:30, went to a couple of shops, and then headed over to La Choza around 4 (see below). We were about 3rd on the list this time. After 30 minutes, the restaurant opened, and we were seated in the comfortable room under the window, not the bar area like last time.

We ordered chips and salsa, and this time we were offered an additional roasted green. Heck yea, we'll try that too. I managed to get this photo off but forgot both the restaurant and the meal. It's a challenge folks. Both of the salsas were outstanding, the red better than last time.

As for the primary meal, it was the usual chicken adovada buried in red as noted below. After receiving our order, something was amiss. Mine were cheese enchiladas, and Mrs. RJG ended up with ground beef! Before we could even say "ummm", a full plate of chicken adovada showed up with apologies from the kitchen. They recognized their own mistake! Impressive.

We received the sopapilla at the end. We were happy campers. Better than last year!

---11/18/24 update

For the first time since we started going to New Mexico, we didn't spend a night in Santa Fe, rather focusing more on Albuquerque. I had originally wanted to spend one night after our dinner, but the hotels were double the usual price. There didn't seem to be any one reason for this, but we made the decision to eat at La Choza for dinner and then drive to ABQ afterward. To underscore that point, if I know I'm only getting one dinner in Santa Fe, then it's highly likely to be La Choza. We followed our recent ritual as noted below. After doing some thrifting in the late afternoon, we arrived at La Choza not long after 4 PM. Put our name on the list, and wait for them to open at 4:30. This time we weren't seated in the private room overlooking the street, but rather right by the bar which is an entirely different atmosphere. We dived right in for two margaritas (and ordered another two later), a basket of chips, and salsa. The chips seemed a little more salty than usual and it also seems they changed their recipe for the salsa (more chunky, more spicy). We ordered our usual blue corn chicken adovada enchiladas smothered in red with rice and beans (we have to remember to substitute posole for rice). Hard to imagine anything being better! We use the sopaipillas for dessert, though we should have had them bring that after our meal, as they were not hot by the time we got to them.

Only bummer is that they charged us $4 for extra salsa. That kind of nickel and diming is rather insulting considering the popularity of the restaurant. And the fact that the salsa is more chunky makes it go faster. That's their first demerit in 10 years of going here. All the same, La Choza remains one of only a handful of RJG annual rotation restaurants outside of Colorado Springs.

---5/30/23 update

You had to see this coming. And what's more is that we are here to celebrate Mrs. RJG's 50th birthday! It is her favorite restaurant in the country. It is, as it turns out, my favorite restaurant in the country too. Neat how that works. What isn't revealed anywhere below is that I went here for my 50th birthday too! Way back in 2014, when we first discovered La Choza, I made the decision to come back for my birthday. It was the second visit on the same trip, something we never do. Now no trip to Santa Fe is possible without a visit to La Choza. If we can't come here, we don't want to come to the city. It's that simple.

We've also learned to time our visit perfectly. Just as last year, we got here 20 minutes before opening, found easy parking, got our name on the list, and were seated promptly at 4:30. I wish they would open up the bar again like they used to. What we didn't know is that La Choza isn't as packed as every other time we'd been for the last 9 years, including last year. Perhaps the ultimate example that inflation is destroying the restaurant industry. When we left, there was nobody waiting. I've never seen that before. Still, I wouldn't want to chance it. And besides we like to eat dinner early anyway.

You can read below on what we had for dinner and drinks. I made one mistake though. Since it was Mrs. RJG's birthday I thought it would be nice to upgrade our margaritas from the usual House to a Premium choice. Not a great plan. Too boozy for us. We like the cheap stuff! lol. I finished her first one, and she ordered a House and was happy again. The other diversion this time is that they buried everything in red chile. That includes the beans, rice, and lettuce. I prefer that they leave those plain. But it's hard to complain about having too much of the greatest red sauce we've ever had. So not a demerit, but an anomaly. We think it was something we said. Something akin to "bury it in red". Haha.

Still the greatest restaurant in the country for our tastes.

--- 4/13/22 update

Back for our first visit since 2019. 2020 was closed and we tried in 2021 twice but the lines were insane due to social distancing laws. Though things are back to normal for the most part, we decided to arrive at about 4:20, 10 minutes prior to open. Oh wow, look at that, a place to park! They take names at the door, and then proceed to wait for your name to be called starting at 4:30. Planning ahead works again. We were about 6th in order, and were promptly seated at a quiet table by the window. Started right off with a couple of house margaritas, delicious as ever. Amazing how much better a margarita is when they actually put tequila in it. We proceeded to get the chips and salsa, as delicious as we remember it. The salsa packs a pretty mean punch. I went with my staple of 2 chicken adovada enchiladas, rice (substituted for the posole), whole pinto beans, and lettuce. Buried in red chile. Meal came out blazing hot and stayed that way through the duration. Perfectly cooked, perfectly spicy. Mrs. RJG had almost exactly the same thing except she stayed with the posole (instead of rice), which isn't soupy, but rather fully cooked hominy with small chunks of pork. We were completely silent as we devoured our meal, leaving nothing on the plate as we were both scraping the last vestiges of chile off the plate. Sopaipillas make the perfect dessert as we added honey to each bite. Did I mention we had a second margarita each? Absolutely no downturn in quality or service, unlike just about everywhere else. Simply the best restaurant there is.

---original 9/10/15 review

Unlike the other restaurants we've reported on so far in Santa Fe, La Choza is consistently rated as one of the top dining spots in the area, and is very well known. Is it tourist hype and group think? Not at all. In fact, the RJG is close to rating La Choza as our favorite restaurant in Santa Fe as well. We've now been 5 times in a four year period, and it gets our coveted 5 star rating!

La Choza has to be considered one of the gold standards for New Mexican cooking. We've smothered a few items in their famous chile's, and never have we left without huge smiles of happiness. In general, regarding the chile, I've stuck with the Christmas standard. Their green is slightly spicy and I would consider it good to very good in flavor. Their red chile is quite simply the best I've ever had - and one of the best food items I've ever had. It's so velvety in texture with flavors that continue to explode as time goes on. It's not particularly spicy either (though hotter than the green on average - it's seasonal). Remember my comment on the Horseman's Haven review about "It's not about the heat, it's about the flavor"? I think they can't get La Choza out of their head. And, yea, I can understand that too. Chips and salsa are an extra purchase, which we've done in the past (recall being excellent but too long ago), but eschewed this time around. All meals come with a sopaipilla (or garlic bread or a tortilla - c'mon get the sopaipilla), that they deliver steaming hot at the end of the meal. I darn near burned my face opening it up this time! Can't really recommend anything beyond this: You must order something that is buried in the red chile. I'm salivating as I write this.

For drinks they have tequila, margaritas, wine, and even craft beer on tap. Like a total dope, I ordered the frozen margarita. When will I ever learn that no one does frozen margs better than what we have in Texas? Of course, it was watered down. My fault. I knew better. Mrs. RJG, on the other hand, being the smart one in the marriage, ordered a house margarita on the rocks. I had one sip and was envious all night. Delicious, and plenty of tequila in there too!

As mentioned at the top, La Choza's reputation is well earned, is featured in every magazine imaginable, and as such, it fills up quickly. Reservations are recommended (2022 update: which they don't take anymore), or you can do what the RJG does and show up not long after opening (we always go for dinner). As well, it seems that all great New Mexican restaurants in Santa Fe come with difficult-at-first parking. The restaurant is hidden behind the Santa Fe Railyard at the mobbed intersection of St. Francis and Cerrillos. Get your trusty Google Map App out, and wind your way to the back roads. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant and through the fenced area. Like the restaurant, it fills up quick.  If you go early, easy breezy. Otherwise, it's street parking. The restaurant itself is the old headquarters of a former ranch. It has many rooms, and outside seating as well. And a bar area, which you can dine in as well. Very comfortable surroundings. La Choza first opened in 1983, and has been gathering awards ever since.

9/9/14; 9/10/15 (new entry); 8/4/16; 4/22/17; 10/21/18; 3/22/19; 4/13/22; 5/30/23; 11/14/24; 3/19/25

Bella Sura ~ Kerrville, Texas

Mr. Music continues on in Kerrville...

---

We hoped to try some of the best restaurants in Kerrville on this trip. There are a few Italian spots and known for their pizza, Bella Sera caught our eye as a good place to start. It's a good sized dining room and definitely meant for a fun family outing. Just what the doctor ordered!

They have an extensive menu with several appetizers, salads, pizza, seafood, pasta classics and even a steak section. Baby Music opted for fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken, Music Junior decided on meat lasagna and both really enjoyed theirs. I thought I might get pizza but switched gears when I saw the sampler trio which comes with lasagna, chicken Parmesan and fettuccine Alfredo. I wasn't in much of a fettuccine alfredo mood and asked our waitress if I could have spaghetti with marinara sauce instead. She was super kind about it and made it happen without any kind of up charge. It was a big meal. All 3 items were very good and I especially liked the big portion of chicken Parmesan.

 
The meals came with a nice dinner salad with mixed greens, tomato, house made croutons, fresh Parmesan shards and a lovely house made tomato basil dressing. Their garlic knots were yummy as well. Garlicky and coated with Parmesan and moist inside.

 
We chose to celebrate with a little desert. We shared a canole and tiramisu. Both good. The tiramisu was really delicious with plenty of coffee liquor to soak the lady fingers. We all agreed it was the star.
The pizza looks good as do the other dishes I saw go by like Frutti di mare and also a ribeye looked good.

Is this place going to compete with Pietro's (an old Dallas fave), no. But the food is very good, reasonably priced and the staff is friendly and great.

- Mr. Music review

Thai Ocha ~ Kerrville, Texas

Mr. Music is driving around the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. What does he have for us today?

---

Baby Music and I took a drive to Kerrville for Spring Break. Kerrville is a cute little town in the Texas Hill Country on the Guadeloupe River. It's pretty and serene and a place for nature and outdoorsy events, like the Kerrville Folk Festival. It's still small (population around 25k) and fairly secluded, 65 miles NW of San Antonio and 30 miles SW of Fredericksburg. We were hungry when we got there and checked out the local restaurants. We saw two Thai restaurants and decided Thai Ocha looked like the place for us! It had good reviews, but I had my cautions. First, Thai food in the Hill Country wilderness? Next, no fish cakes or Thai corn fritters. But no worries, I've got my expectations in check.

We got a great little table on the back patio, overlooking the Guadalupe River! It was gorgeous and peaceful. We ordered Tom Kha Gai. She asked for level 2 heat and I opted for level 5. Concerned that level 5 would not be spicy, I asked the waiter if they had pik nam pla! "sorry, no" he said. Another worrisome sign. It turns out they have fresh Thai chilies and fish sauce so I suspect they had pik nam pla but our waiter didn’t know what it was.

The soup was a good sized bowl and was actually delicious. I could really taste the herbs like galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass, although they removed those items from the bowls. This tom kha had no sweetness, or very little. I think a touch of sweet is traditional to round off the barrage of taste sensations that one experiences while enjoying tom kha soup (sour, salty, spicy & sweet), but I prefer too little sweet than too much. I was impressed that spice level 5 was actually spicy. And Baby Music was very pleased with her level 2. She said there was just the right amount of heat for her.

 
Baby Music ordered Thai fried rice and I got grilled salmon with sauteed veggies in a bath of red curry. My dish was really good! The piece of salmon was a good sized portion and grilled just right. The curry had a nice flavor, but was just a little thin. I also like more heat. They brought me a dish with fresh chopped Thai chilies, which was perfect. Baby Music liked her fried rice and gave me a bite. It had a nice flavor.

 
We had a great experience here and would definitely try it again.

- Mr. Music review

White Pie Pizza ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Mar 2025

Their original location is in Denver.

It's Wednesday and I'm doing my weekly thrifting around town. Finally I was ahead of schedule and able to make it downtown for lunch. And the weather was nice for walking, just slightly chilly. Nearby where my regular downtown stop sits lies White Pie. I was starving and a pizza sounded perfect.

The restaurant definitely screams "downtown chic" and is well appointed. I sat at the bar and quickly made my order since I had researched the menu before arriving. I went for the Porky Porkorino, which you see to your below right (Sopressata man!). And they have their own branded light lager made courtesy of Station 26 (Denver), so I had one of those as well. 

White Pie specializes in New Haven styled pizza, the preferred choice of those who reside in Connecticut. It's a super thin patted down crust, not tossed, and then they char the edges. Essentially it's like the knife and fork Neopolitan pizzas you might find in Italy and the rest of Europe, though the crust is stiff enough to eat with your hands. If this all sounds good, it tastes even better. One strange twist is they add hot honey to it. Not sure I prefer this, though the sweet does counterbalance the saltiness.

Service was terrific, and the crowd was light for lunch. However I was assured they have lines out the door during the weekends. I believe them. It's a splurge meal though, so definitely budget first. Also enjoyed the turn of the century chill out electronica music they had piping into the speakers. I'm thinking of gathering signatures to outlaw modern pop or rap music in restaurants. It's very disturbing while I eat. :-)

Adding to the RJG Rotation. There are many things I'd like to try on their menu, including other pizzas, and I'm here in this part of town often. We'll see if I can arm twist Mrs. RJG here as well. She's funny about pizza though.

3/12/25 (new entry)

Colorado City Creamery ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: summer of 1994

After our lunch at Rudy's Bar-B-Q, we went to an antique mall for about an hour. What next? How about ice cream, suggests Mrs. RJG. I could have gone for a beer (BBQ is salty!), but Mrs. RJG will always select dessert if given a choice. We were close by to Old Colorado City, so it's obvious where we are going. This is Mrs. RJG's favorite ice cream parlor in town. She loves the vibe of it. And of course the ice cream. Interesting to note I was last here almost exactly to the day last year (Mrs. RJG likes to take her mom here when in town). 

On this visit I went for the mocha almond fudge in a waffle cone. Mrs. RJG did the same, but split it with pistachio. Creamy and delicious as always. We gobbled it up while watching the old town move about its business. There's something very cool about the original Colorado Springs. A perfect Tuesday lunch and afternoon date.

---3/10/24 update

As we were heading home from Florence, Mrs. RJG inexplicably wanted ice cream. Really? We'd already gone to our favorite Josh and John's this year, so let's revisit our other fave in town: Colorado City Creamery. We arrived not long before their closing hour of 6. We were both surprised to see a line out the door. Looks like it was going to be difficult to close on time. In any case, as we wandered through that line, we both zeroed in on the Pikes Peak Trail flavor. Basically a mix of chocolate, vanilla, and tiny peanut butter cups. Waffle cone, one scoop. And we wandered Old Colorado City with our treats (most everything was closed by then, but that's OK). Absolutely delicious and a great way to end an excellent day.

---original 2/20/23 review

What? I've never written about Colorado City Creamery until now? Talk about an oversight. Not sure how that happened honestly. Though it's true, we didn't go here once last year for no particularly good reason. And I do remember the circumstance of my last visit in August of 2021. You can read the Pho-nomenal review for those unnecessary details. So that may have contributed to my negligence.

As you can see I've been coming here since my first tour of duty in Colorado Springs. Even when we lived in Denver - or DFW - and visited the Springs, it wasn't uncommon for us to go to Colorado City Creamery for a scoop of their delicious ice cream. They've been around since the 1980s, and during the summer, there's often a line around the block filled with tourists and locals alike. You can't miss the location: Sitting in a cute old house slightly recessed off the main drag, with its bright yellow and white colors. And the ice cream is homemade and delicious.

After Phantom Canyon, Mrs. RJG's inner 8-year-old came out and she wanted ice cream. She can easily skip beer, but ice cream is a much stronger gravitational pull for the Mrs. And on a windy February President's Day, there are no crowds to worry about. On this visit they had just finished putting out a brand new bucket of chocolate. So we both went for a cup of that (small - slightly more than one scoop). I think Mrs. RJG is still recovering from her Sugarlump experience lol. It was just slightly soft and oh-so-creamy. And tasty as always. I tend to be a Josh and John's guy myself, but Colorado City Creamery is a close second. With the added bonus that you can walk around Old Colorado City while enjoying your ice cream. If you're from out of town, you'll likely end up here as a matter of logistics alone.

1994; 9/28/18; 8/1/21; 2/20/23 (new entry); 3/10/24; 3/11/25

Rudy's Bar-B-Q ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Mar 2025

Locations: 50 total; Texas (38); Arizona (5); New Mexico (4); Oklahoma (2); Arkansas (1 - coming soon); plus this one location in Colorado.

HQ: Lakeway, TX (Austin area). Founded: 1989 (Leon Springs, TX)

It's Tuesday and it's time for Mrs. RJG and I to enjoy a lunch together. We've been talking about going to Rudy's since we moved back seven years ago, so maybe it's high time we get on that. Sitting prominently on US-24 near RJG favorite Fossil Brewing, it's a noticeable location that usually gets the "we should go there sometime" statement as we drive by.

You'll see the large gas station up front, and as you walk in there will be the "country store", but not a typical convenience setup, with primarily BBQ branded goods on sale. The back is where the barbecue will be found and it's obvious that it serves as the place's primary business. They have multiple cash registers and you order from there. They asked if it was our first time at Rudy's. We said yes, and out came two samples: One of the brisket and the other with turkey. Both were excellent. I came for the half chicken and Mrs. RJG settled on the brisket sandwich with a side of the green chile stew. After a couple of moments our tray was full, and we find a park bench seat, similar to other Texas barbeque houses we remember.

We each tried a bite of the green chile. Excellent flavor loaded with ingredients including potatoes. Not spicy but hot temperature. She loved the sandwich, as the bread was of a high quality and we already knew the meat would be good. My half chicken was excellent, loaded with flavor. It was moist, tender, messy, and a delight to eat. We also received a few slices of bread. I decided to pour some of their barbecue sauce on it. Interesting to note that their "regular" sauce is indeed quite spicy. I didn't venture to their branded "Sissy Sauce". Next time I want to try their turkey meal. Mrs. RJG wants to try their beans as a side. Service was great and the prices are reasonable for this day and age. We were both full.

Overall an excellent experience and into the RJG Rotation goes Rudy's. Mrs. RJG wants to come back before the annual review. As usual I forgot to take photos. What a knucklehead.

3/11/25 (new entry)

Colorado Springs

Mollica's Italian Market & Deli ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Dec 2022

It's Friday and I'd been digging all morning at various estate, garage, and thrift sales. It was a warm and sunny morning, and I was mostly on schedule. Just as I left the last shop before lunch, a cold front blew through. Well there goes the downtown option (again), because that requires a lot of walking. While looking at where my next stop would be, Mollica's popped up as "on the way". Time to get in the annual review, now our 4th visit, almost exactly one year later.

I ordered what I did last year, the Combo, which is a meatball and Italian sausage submarine. I continue to forget that it comes with pasta salad. If there's one thing I don't like, it's cold pasta. I need to remember to substitute for something else. Nonetheless I tried it, and yea, not for me. As is often the case, I forgot to photo the meal. Why? Because I was starving. Not the best excuse however. At least I got the building this time.

The sandwich was loaded per their custom, especially the house made Italian sausage. Unfortunately on this visit the casing was too tough, and you couldn't breakthrough it with your teeth. This isn't a knife and fork meal, and the basket is not convenient for cutting with a knife. So it was a bit of a messy affair eating everything with your fingers (which were super clean as I washed up upon arrival, since they have a nice bathroom). The meatballs were much more cooperative, and I like their firmness. All was very tasty, though they tend to the porky side of the meat ingredient equation. Hence, Mrs. RJG doesn't like it (see below updates).

Mollica's is an expensive option, costing about $18 for a sandwich and a drink, and daring to ask a tip afterward as well. But the crowd was decent, so many folks are allocating a few extra dollars to enjoy a meal out of the house. 

Next time, I'm determined to try one of their Italian meat subs. Mollica's remains in the RJG rotation.

---3/2/24 update

This is my 3rd time to Mollica's, back again on my own since Mrs. RJG didn't enjoy it last year. I combined my last two meals and had the Combo which is their meatball and sausage sub. I enjoyed everything about it - the meats, the crunchy roll, the red sauce, the temperature, you name it. I don't like that they ask for an unearned tip at the credit card machine. I really wish counter serve and drive through restaurants would stop this practice immediately. I feel bad to leave zero tip, but I'm not handing even more money out, considering it's not cheap to begin with. The only demerit on an otherwise excellent revisit.

---8/12/23 update

Managed to get Mrs. RJG out to Mollica's for the first time but sadly it didn't resonate with her. She tried the meatball sub which I was certain she would like (see below), but no such luck. Her viewpoint: Bread was too chewy and moist; Meatballs are too porky. Sigh. I went with the Italian sausage sub. A full sausage and a half cut into 3 slices. Still love their sauce and bread. I was at least happy. :-)

---original 12/30/22 review

Mollica's is one of those places that I drive by often, declare that I want to try it, and subsequently forget all about the event. Each time. I never did write it down, but fortunately it came up on a search for best subs in town, and finally I was reminded during lunch time.

I was a bit lost when first entering, but figured it out quickly. There are paper menus to your right when you walk in. I missed that. So now you won't make the same mistake... I had looked online and the menu was the same. My intention was to order the Dominic, which is their hot meatball sub. And that's exactly what I did - full 8 inches. I wasn't interested in the red bell peppers, and that will also take away the onions as they're blended together. Probably for the best. They give you a number on a stand, and find any open table to display it on. Red and white checkered no less. Perfect.

My meal came out much faster than expected, hand delivered. Oh wow - we may have our best meatball sub in town! Back East Bar may have to step aside. Can't wait to evaluate next year who is best. Why so great? Well first the Italian roll was toasted just right. Mrs. RJG would have loved it. The meatballs are homemade and very firm. And a superb taste on its own. No bland meatball here! The cheese is appropriately gooey. And that takes us to the best part - the sauce! I must try a pasta here. Very delicious.

It's a good sized space, so there were plenty of tables to choose from, even though the crowd was decent. As noted by the name, it also serves as a real delicatessen. Might have to get a pound of Italian meats next time as well. I'll insist Mrs. RJG joins me to get her take.

Just to note that if you're heading west on Garden of the Gods (which is likely, especially if from out of town coming off I-25), I would take the left exit before Forge and make a right in the shopping center. The left at Forge is a bit dicey to maneuver. Almost better to make a U-Turn there. Google will take you to Forge, so keep your eyes peeled for the last exit before it (Forge has a traffic light, so you won't miss it). 

12/30/22 (new entry); 8/12/23; 3/2/24; 3/7/25

Pegasus Restaurant ~ Castle Rock, Colorado

First visit: Mar 2025

It is a cold and dreary Thursday morning, and I'm heading back to Denver for a dig (it was to warm up later). As I said on the Port of Subs review, this is starting to become a weekly ritual. For this day, the sales started a little later, so I thought I'd sneak in a breakfast. Castle Rock is the perfect halfway stop to most places in Denver. I've already been back to B&B Cafe this year, so let's see what else they on offer for an early meal. Pegasus popped up, so let's give it a try.

The restaurant sits just a little off the main drag in downtown Castle Rock, near an Italian restaurant we used to frequent called Angie's (Mrs. RJG doesn't like them, but I should try it again, and document it here). As the photo indicates, it almost looks like an office or law building. And it appears some of the structure is used for business. But most of the space is the restaurant. Once you walk in, they ask you to grab a menu and seat yourself. I took a cozy both near the window. The restaurant is very well decorated in dark woods. A soothing refuge from the chaos of the world.

Ordered coffee and Chilladas, the latter I researched online before getting there. To your right you'll see the flavored creamers I desire, and I'd already loaded up my cup. What I wasn't prepared for is that my meal came very quick and I barely had a couple of sips. That's not a complaint. :-)

They define Chilladas as thus: "Two Scrambled eggs w/diced ham and melted cheddar cheese all wrapped in soft corn tortillas an smothered in our green chili. Served w/ hash browns or frijoles topped with Monterey Jack." Essentially enchiladas instead of a smothered burrito. I started in on the beans. A little bland and they could have stood to be a tad hotter in temperature. Though they certainly were hotter than warm. The hash browns are really crisp. Real friend potatoes and many of them cooked to a crisp, which tasted almost like bacon. Excellent The green chili is the make it or break it ingredient, and I'm happy to say it was excellent. Definitely spicy, hot temperature, and very flavorful. All the rest was cooked as expected and a very good dish overall.

Service was very friendly on this visit as well. They also have a full lunch menu I'd like to try sometime. Pegasus is a new addition to the RJG rotation, and I'm certain to be back next year.

3/6/25 (new entry)

Chennai Cafe ~ Frisco, Texas

Mr. Music is roaming around the northern sections of the massive Dallas metro area. What does he have for us today?

---

Mr. Grizzly met me today for an Indian lunch feast! He and I are good friends and dine together often as we have similar tastes. He's from Bangladesh, so I like his perspective on food and other things too. I've been going to Chennai Cafe for over 10 years. I can't believe I've never written about it. When I first started going, we'd go after happy hour for some South Indian items; specifically the 4 ft long masala dosa! The food was good, not great but not many South Indian restaurants were open later in the evening during the week near Plano.

 
The good news is the restaurant has increasingly gotten better over the years. Today was no exception! They added a buffet a few years back and have become more of an Indo-Chinese fusion spot that does some traditional South items well. The buffet is massive and is offered for lunch and dinner, though you can order from the menu as well. The offerings on the buffet change from day to day, which is cool but sometimes a drag if you are craving something.

First, they have a grill area where they make several types of dosa to order; today they offered just 3 and they also made fresh appam as well. We both got the masala dosa. This is a very thin crepe made from fermented batter of lentels and rice. Don't worry, you can't taste the fermentation most of the time and only then it can be slightly tart. It's amazing how thin they are and only cooked on 1 side, which is brown and crispy. The other side is moist like the inside of a pancake. It is filled with a scoop of aloo masala (seasoned potatoes using turmeric, mustard seed, green chilies, onion, ginger, curry leaves and a few other tasty spices.) I got some tamarind chutney and cilantro/mint chutney from the chutney table to dip it in. It was delish! As Mr. Grizzly said, not mind blowing but very good. He doesn't use any chutney with his dosa.

 
I toyed with getting appam (aka hoppers) as it is not that common in restaurants and honestly I thought it was only a Sri Lankan item, only recently did I find out they make them in Kerala and Tamil. The batter is very similar to a dosa but they add coconut milk in the batter. The outer portion is thin like a dosa, but the middle has a thicker ball of batter making it look somewhat like a fried egg. If I had 2 stomachs, I certainly would have had one.

I had idli and vada with some sambar and coconut chutney to complete my South Indian craving! I like my idli super tart and most times they deliver at Chennai Cafe, but today the idli lacked the tartness I crave. It was still good though. Idli is a fluffy (but dense at the same time), steamed biscuit made from a fermented batter that is similar to dosa batter, but is much thicker.

The vada was very light and fluffy, which many probably love, but I like mine a bit denser - still tasty here. It is another South Indian breakfast treat sorta like a savory donut. It's made from a lentil based batter seasoned with black pepper, chopped green chilies, cumin seeds and other yummies then deep fried. It can be plopped into a bowl of rasam (tamarind broth seasoned to the hilt) or sambar (thick lentil soup loaded with veggies like carrot chunks, drum sticks (the pod from the now famous moringa tree and similar in taste to a more fibrous yet milder asparagus) and pieces of onion also seasoned to the max (mustard seed, chilies, curry leaves, coriander seeds). It was not the best I've had, but still very good with decent heat.

 
The coconut chutney is very thick and laden with dried red chilies, some chopped green chile, and mustard seed. Just how I love it. Well, I'd be glad to have more heat, but it still had some.
Next, I attached the khichdi and pongal; these are Mr. Grizzly's weaknesses here at Chennai Cafe and he piled up. I do love them too, but they are super dense and filling. I'm not exactly sure what makes them different. They are both made from a base of rice, moong dal and ghee. So they are similar in consistency, but are totally different at the same time. They both share some ingredients but I guess that is where they can vary, which ingredients are used. They are both a thick, dense porridge-like dish but nutty due to the urad dal and cashews and loaded with things like chilies, mustard & cumin seeds, ginger, chilies and more. They are often used for cleanses in Ayurveda. Both were divine per Mr. Grizzly and myself.

 
We both had tindora (small, green squash about 3 inches long and a little bitter. sliced like puckle chips, and stir fried with lots of spices), Manchurian baby corn (1 inch pieces of baby corn battered and fried then stir fried with onion, ginger and other goodies) and dal makahani (a thick, buttery dish sorta like a creamy vegetarian chili made with black lentils and kidney beans (often pretty mellow, but surprisingly spicy today... loved it). All 3 were faves today for me, especially the tindora!

 
We both tried the chicken biryani and veg biryani. Biryani is a rice dish that is so complex with seasoning with green cardamom, black, smokey cardamom, star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and many other flavors. We both prefer mutton, but any biryani is better than none. Actually he said he was embarrassed to admit he had the veg. His friends and family would not approve! lol, but interestingly we both though it was more flavorful than the chicken. Nothing compares to Al Markaz (mutton dum biryani which is strategically layered and meat tenderized in spice laden yogurt), but this is a different style of biryani and is pretty darn good.

He had goat curry which I passed on today. It's usually a fave but I wanted to try other stuff I hadn't had before. He said it was good but not the usual. The pieces of meat was diced up and there were no bones. That might seem good, but in this dish, it is not! Big bones with lots of marrow are needed to intensify the flavor. Plus slurping out the marrow from a straw-like bone is a treat!

We agreed, the star of the show today was probably the fish curry! The fish were big, cubed pieces and sooo tender and flavorful without a hint of fishiness. The dark brown curry was amazing and a little unusual. I can't even put my finger on it. Mr. Grizzly thought It seemed to have a mix of Indian seasoning with some Chinese spices too. In either case, the curry was heavenly on a bit of white basmati!

 
We tried a batter fried chicken stirfry that was Indo-Chinese and reminded me of a dish from the Bombay Chinese food that was all the rage in India in the 80s (I've been told) and hit DFW in the 90s (which I had!). It was quite good today.

 
I had some cuddy (curd) rice which is a palate cleanser and digestion aid. It's basically basmati rice soaked in thick, sour yogurt with sauteed curry leaves, black gram, cumin seeds and mustard seeds (aka temper).

 
There were SO many things we didn't get to. Rasam, paneer curry, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, tomato chutney and much more. They had 4 sweet dishes including sweet sabudana (like kheer using tapioca pearls instead of rice), galub jamun (fried balls of dough like a dense donut hole) soaked in syrup made with rose water and a couple types of halwa.

 
I love this place! It's a couple dollars more than other Indian buffets, but worth the price.

- Mr. Music review

Felipe's 109 ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Jun 2021

I'm back at Felipe's 109 for the first time in two years. And I'm out of work again! Haha, but this time it was my choice since I'm retired. Once again I found myself down south and time had gotten away from me. I had another place in mind to try, and will soon enough, but I wanted something quick and not necessarily heavy as I was running late. All the best laid plans...

Except Felipe's 109 was mobbed on this fine Wednesday at noon. I had to wait to put in my order, as they also have a drive thru, and were in the midst of a very large to-go order. No problem, I didn't really have any urgent matters to attend to, just my regular Colorado Springs thrifting Wednesday. To be honest, it's refreshing to see a restaurant packed with patrons. And they're not cheap either. Everyone is trying to make it work I think. And the help staff was very friendly. While waiting, I snapped a quick photo. Do we still "snap" photos? Questions.... Zippy is now starting to mug for the camera. Why do we mug cameras anyway? More questions...

Eventually my meal came out (to your right). I ordered the same thing as below with the same results. It was definitely a hot kitchen, and everything came out perfectly. I was starving so I even munched down all those fries. And I also enjoyed plenty of Pepsi Zero while waiting.

The most surprising part is when the front counter lady called me by name, showed up at my bench, and handed me a card for a free meal because of how long I had wait. That was super nice! I think they did it because I wasn't upset in the slightest, I was happy for them. So with that, I'm going to publish this, and then I'll send a fresh update very soon. I want to try something else on their menu.

With kindness like this, Felipe's 109 is now in the RJG Rotation.

---6/22/23 update

As I was reminiscing on the Cy's entry about the celebration of my one year anniversary of receiving my job offer, Felipe's 109 represents my out-of-work life. Last year I had just been abruptly let go in late April, which lead to the current position (nothing I did, just change in business direction, that impacted far more folks than myself). Two years ago I was looking at my very first no-job-but-on-severance situation. That role ended in divestiture, that I was in charge of. I was responsible for my own demise lol. So it's refreshing to visit Felipe's 109 without so much drama in my life.

And I'm happy to report that they did make all the changes I grumbled about in the last two years. They now have covered wooden park benches outside (along with the concrete monstrosities for overflow). They also flipped the drink machine so we can self-serve. And all of this at no cost to us - because the food is just as good as before. I stayed loyal and ordered what I always: 2 Tacoburgers, fries, and a drink. I really should go here more often. Not being open on Sunday does impact that situation though.

---4/29/22 update

Time for the annual review, and I'm happy to say that Felipe's is exactly the same as I remember it from last year. Had the same thing: 2 Taco Burgers with fries and a drink. It's a messy meal considering the green chile cheese sauce, but it's very flavorful. And the crispy shell holds up despite this. Just get extra napkins and you'll need that fork. As for the changes suggested from last year, we were largely ignored lol. The drink machine is still filled by the counter person, though at least I received it right away before my meal. The cement park benches still don't have umbrellas. And there's no air conditioning, but fortunately this was a late April day and it was very pleasant inside. The stools are still too big for the tables. But at least now they have regular seating including normal tables and chairs as well. Much more welcoming space than prior.

BTW - worth noting: You can't get here via Academy even though that's the address that it sits on (and you can see it clearly from the road). I made that mistake this time and ended up taking almost a 10 minute round trip to get back. You have to enter via Boychuk off of Hancock Expressway. No wonder the shopping center is empty! There's a megachurch there and nothing else but Felipe's 109. I just followed Google Maps last time, so I didn't realize this until now.

---original 6/24/21 review

Felipe's 109 is an established food truck who recently opened up a brick and mortar restaurant in an old shopping center not too far from one of my thrifting haunts, way down south. Near another RJG favorite Taste of Philly (other side of Hancock), that we have in these very pages. Not sure what this building was before, but they've clearly renovated it. Sleek aluminum tables and hardwood floors. When you walk in, you'll be right at the counter. You'll get a quick walkthrough of their limited menu. We like limited menus! Focus on what you're good at. I already knew I was getting the taco burger combo which includes fries and a drink. Sat down, and had to wait a bit as they had just received some large to-go orders. One downside is they don't allow you access to the drink machine, and they made me wait until I got my order. I was thirsty, so that wasn't good. The stools are also too big for the tables lol. And they still have a pandemic look with way too much spacing and not enough seating. They have three fetching concrete patio setups outside, but no umbrellas, so that option was out. And no air conditioning inside, and in this part of the Springs, it gets pretty hot in the summer. Hopefully they'll be able to rectify all of this soon enough. I guess if they keep getting those large takeout orders, they'll be rolling in dough. Anyway, all easy fixes.

Finally my meal and drink showed up. They ran out of ice. Ha - one of those days. They did get some as I was leaving, and offered me another drink (new cup) which was nice. Actually the ladies who work here are very nice. Death metal seemed to be the music of choice for the cook, which gave me a wry smile. I started in on the fries and they were absolutely delicious. And piping hot - yes! The taco burgers are very interesting - and favorable to the RJG.  You get two per combo order (they're $3 each if you want to try one a la carte). They come in a very crispy homemade taco shell with hamburger meat (yes, a cooked hamburger, not like a ground beef taco) with lettuce, tomato, and the best part - a homemade green chili sauce with queso. I could see this becoming an addicting food. The chili was hot in temperature and had a nice kick too. It's a bit sloppy, but that's OK.

So yea, definitely a thumbs up from the RJG. Love new food concepts such as this. I originally put Mexican in the labels, but that's misleading. No tacos y enchiladas here. Taco burgers and creative bowls is their schtick. Try them out!

6/24/21 (new entry); 4/29/22; 6/22/23; 3/5/25

Las Tortugas ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2025

I'm once again in the southern part of Colorado Springs near lunchtime. It's Friday and the weather is similar to the day before: Sunny and very warm for this time of year. Just the way my Colorado Springs digging routine goes, the south is where I'll often be during lunch. I'd hoped to make it back to downtown, but I was running behind. 

I was up for a hamburger or tacos and was hoping to try someplace new. Right across the street from where I was lies Las Tortugas, and their street tacos looked good in the images I saw. OK, let's try it. Las Tortugas sits in a strip center that I had never been to before. Most of it is empty, but one segment is still hopping and that's where the restaurant is. Looks like my 2017 Acura SUV, affectionately known as "Zippy" due to its excellent ability to zip in and out of insane traffic, makes a cameo (bottom right). Mrs. RJG drives a fancy schmancy 2024 Lexus SUV, but I still prefer my Zippy. Besides it has a CD player. Can't get those anymore either...

Walk in, and you'll see a gigantic place, some of it allocated to arcade, pinball, and parlor games. Las Tortugas have the ninos in mind, and they want you to bring the whole family. It's a modern place and the menu is bright and large. Order at the counter. Tortas (Mexican sandwiches) is their primary offering, and next time I'll insist on having one. But I had tacos on the brain, and I asked if they were good. "Oh yes!" proudly said the friendly lady at the counter in accented English. I went for a taco plate that gets you two tacos, rice, and beans. Sounds bueno. For the tacos I settled on pollo and al pastor. 

To your right is what I received. I started in on the beans. Not hot enough temperature but a good flavor. They were almost like chili (thinking Hormel or something similar) rather than the traditional refried beans offering. I went next to the rice. Here the temperature was perfect. This isn't really my kind of rice - sort of flaky and oftentimes mushy. For this style, however, I thought it was very good. Next time though I'll lay off both. Now to try the main course. Tacos were wrapped in double corn tortillas and served "street style" with cilantro and onions. Very hot to the touch (hooray). The counter lady said the chicken wasn't that "asado-y" (word of the day). But I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent grilled chicken flavor. Even better was the al pastor, and I had the option of getting pineapple, but I passed. It's been a long time since I enjoyed pastor this good. Heavily seasoned and not a hint of the porky flavor that oftentimes ruins the dish. Both tacos were great. Also worth noting the salsas that you see. The green is a creamy lime, with medium heat, and very good. The orange had a chile de arbol flavor and packed a punch. 

I'll be back next year. And I'm getting a sandwich...

2/28/25 (new entry)